REMAINS RETURNED, FAMILIES OF GTMO DETAINEES CALL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 004919

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/17/2016
TAGS: KISL KPAO PGOV PREL MOPS PTER KAWC SA XF
SUBJECT: REMAINS RETURNED, FAMILIES OF GTMO DETAINEES CALL
FOR INVESTIGATION OF DEATHS

REF: SECSTATE 94613

Classified By: James C. Oberwetter for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) Following the deaths of the three GTMO detainees,
Abdulaziz Suleiman al-Rubaish, whose brother is currently
detained at GTMO, contacted the Embassy and asked to meet
with the Ambassador. PolMilOff met al-Rubaish at the Embassy
front gate and accepted a letter addressed to President Bush
from relatives of Saudi detainees. The letter holds the USG
responsible for the deaths, and calls for an international
investigation and the immediate release of the remaining
detainees. Post's translation of the letter and Ambassador
Oberwetter's letter in response are copied below.


2. (U) Al-Jazirah, a Riyadh newspaper, published the contents
of the al-Rubaish letter on June 18. The English language
Arab News reported on June 19 that the father of one of the
deceased, Yasser al-Zahrani, is convinced that U.S.
authorities strangled his son, and the results of the ongoing
Saudi autopsy would not change his mind.


3. (C) EmbOffs observed the repatriation of the remains of
the two deceased Saudi detainees at the Riyadh airport
shortly after midnight on June 17. Officials from the
Ministry of Interior (MOI) visually confirmed the identities
of the deceased. The Saudi consular official who accompanied
the bodies from GTMO said that he was pleased with the entire
repatriation process.

(Begin Text of Saudi Letter)

Date: 17.5.1427 H (Corresponding June 13, 2006)
To: His Excellency George W. Bush, President of the United
States

Dear Mr. President:

With great sorrow and sadness, we received the news of the
death of two Saudi Guantanamo prisoners - Yasser Talal
al-Zahrani and Manie Shaman al-Otaibi - and the Yemeni
prisoner - Ahmed Abdullah. They died under detention, a
detention that continued without any legal grounds contrary
to all international rules and regulations.

While we are very skeptical about the camp administration's
story that the prisoners committed suicide, which they know -
as true believers - is forbidden in Islam, (Begin underlined
text) we hold the U.S. administration responsible for the
deaths. We also condemn all methods of investigation
practiced against the detainees (End underlined text) in
Guantanamo, which may have led them to adopt desperate means
to draw attention to their case and highlight the injustices
committed against them in order to be released quickly.

We, the relatives of Saudis detained in Guantanamo, (Begin
underlined text) call for the formation of an international
investigation committee to find out the reasons behind their
death (End underlined text) or alleged suicide, as well as
expose violations practiced against our sons in the detention
camp.

(Begin underlined text) We also call for an immediate and
unconditional release of our sons under detention (End
underlined text) in this ill-famed camp. We hold you
responsible in front of God and the entire world for delaying
their release and the resultant effects on their own physical
and psychological conditions as well as those of their
relatives. The condition of these detainees is deteriorating
everyday due to the inhumane treatment. They were denied any
chance of fair trial and left in isolation from the outside
world without enjoying any of their human rights.

It's a shame for the government and the people of the United
States - who relentlessly promulgated the human rights
culture and endeavored to implement it worldwide - to keep
this detention camp of Guantanamo as witness for the horrible
human rights violations committed, while committees and
organizations arrange meetings for defending and protecting

RIYADH 00004919 002 OF 002


animals!!

(Begin underlined text) We call upon all those who have
compassionate hearts to extend every effort - by the legal
means - to accelerate the release of these victims of
injustice (End underlined text) who spent nearly five years
in this ill-famed detention camp that is well-known to
everyone on earth.

(Signed)

Relatives of Saudi Citizens Detained at Guantanamo

Mohammed Saad bin-Awshan (cell phone 055-523-0491)
Abdulaziz Suleiman al-Rubaish (cell phone 050-514-0729)

(End Text of Saudi Letter)

(Begin Text of Ambassador's Letter)

June 20, 2006

Dear Mr. Awhan and Mr. al-Rubaish:

I have received your June 13 letter on behalf of the families
of Saudi citizens detained at Guantanamo. I have forwarded
your letter to appropriate officials at the Department of
Defense and the White House. I know that those families with
relatives detained at Guantanamo are going through a very
difficult time, especially in the wake of the recent deaths
of three detainees.

The United States government has serious concerns anytime
anybody takes their own life, and the deaths are being fully
investigated by the Department of Defense. The bodies of the
deceased have been returned to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and
consular officials from the Saudi Arabian and Yemeni
embassies in Washington, D.C. escorted the bodies back to
their home countries. A Muslim officer oversaw the process
and the bodies were treated with great sensitivity and in
strict adherence to Islamic requirements.

The United States government has already transferred a number
of detainees to their home countries, including Saudi Arabia,
and others will be returning to the Kingdom shortly. A
formal judicial process is ongoing at Guantanamo and the U.S.
federal courts are involved in the process to review the
cases of the remaining detainees. The U.S. Supreme Court has
a case before it that will influence how and at what pace
that process moves forward.

Sincerely,

James C. Oberwetter
Ambassador

(End Text of Ambassador's Letter)
OBERWETTER